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Damocles Hammer
"We are the sons of the Emperor, the sword and shield, the seraphs of Mankind. We are the bearers of His will and wishes. We are the Imperial Bearers, and we will prove our loyality though fire and blood! For the Emperor!" - Primarch Careas speech to his sons as he was discovered and assumed command of the Legion. The Imperial Bearers, ''once known as the ''Damocles Hammer originally, are one of the 20 First Founding Legions of the Space Marines and were originally the IInd Legion before the Second founding broke the Legiones Astartes up into separate Chapters. They are well-known across the galaxy for their passion and loyalty to the Emperor and the goals of the Great Crusade. For over ten thousands year since the brutal end of the Horus Hersey and the disappearance of their Primarch has the original Damocles Hammer been lead by the longest living Space Marine In Imperial history - Kaertes Brighthammer known as Gabriel Brightblade and went on to preserve most of the Legion's traditions despite the Codex. Due to recent events in the 41st Millennium, and the troubles that burden the Imperium - The Damocles Hammer and their successor chapters were recalled to Baldur to challenge Its arch-enemy that came in the shape of the Lost Legion, the rivals of the Hammer that turned from the Emperor's light years prior to the Hersey and since were banished for ten thousand years. Kaertes has taken to lead the Hammer and Its successors against their struggle but as they departed from Baldur, it was attacked and laid to waste by their enemy as a warning not to interfere. This broke Kaertes's willpower alongside the rest of the chapters, but soon renewed their ancient war zeal and battle determination. With tithes of new recruits, the Damocles Hammer were able to replenish their losses, though they still face a time of trial like none the Chapter has known since the days of the Horus Hersey. After Baldur was destoyed and Kaertes had fallen into darkness; the Chapter fell victim to their emotions and rage drawing attention from the Blood God of Chaos, and not before long most of the Chapter fell to Chaos and defected as they were defeated by the Dark Angels and the Nightmare Maw over the Rock. Legion History The Coming of Careas Revelation of the Emperor Great Crusade The Horus Hersey The Dropsite Massacre The Hammer' strikes (WIP) Battle of Terra Post-Heresy and Imperial Reformation Kaertes's ascension and Careas disappearance Recent History Return of the Enemy Exterminatus of Baldur Betrayal of the Hammer Legion Organization Pre-Heresy From Its Incarnations, the IInd Legion had remained true to the initial organization instructions of the Emperor and his advisers that were laid down at the beginning of the Great Crusade. The warriors of the Legion were organized into companies of approximately a thousand warriors or less, then into battle-chapters, each of ten or less companies. The Damocles enshrined the basic structure as a tradition given that it was one of the largest legions before the Horus Hersey and only modified it after the rediscovery of Careas whom elaborated on it to include and emphasize on heavy vehicle deployments. The operational doctrines of the IInd favored assault diversity and the application of overwhelming tank force. As a reflection of this, the Legion maintained armored divisions of specialized predators for all-terrain battle situations, which can be seen as both the Legion (And Chapter) strength and weakness. Each Damocles company was in theory suppose to be able to meet the enemies of Mankind on any battlefield, and as such were outfitted with a proportionate mix of tactical and assault units, but with slightly more on the armour and artillery along with a sizeable airforce for support. While this doctrine structured adaptability and organized reference. It is noted that as the Damocles Hammer was infamous for their tank prowess in the field of battle - It should be noted that most if not all of their terminators are extremely dangerous in close combat, carrying massive thunder hammers in battle and used to soften the enemy lines for the initial tactical and heavy armour assault. Legion Command Hierarchy The IInd Legion operated under a rather unique hierarchy, where the marine's responsibilities and duties were known to their chapter and Primarch. Careas had overall command of the Legion, deciding its disposition and strategic objective, as well as taking command of whichever fleet or war zone he was present in, but often he chose to delegate such matters with the Hammer Council, which composed of the veterans and the Legion Master as a collective body was much more effective then a single-mind. Each chapter of the Legion was commanded by a Battle-Captain, or Hammer Lord as It became a tradition within the Legion. The Hammer Lord was responsible for the tactical deployment, efficiency and training of his warriors for the battles ahead. He was also held responsible to handle executions of any traitors within his ranks. The Hammer Council The Hammer Council was the high-point in governing and commanding the Damocles Legion, it was formed as a sort of balance between Careas' and his Legion, since he did not wish to be arrogant or over demanding and cared about what his Sons thought about every decision. The following is the list of the Council prior to the Horus Hersey * Careas Solan - Master of Baldur, Primarch of the IIth Legion and Vindicator of the Emperor * Tullius Berulux - Praetor of the Damocles Legion * Krias Issollis - (WIP) * Kaertes Brightblade - Battle Commander of the 2nd Company The next list are the current members of the council In the 41st milennium and including the Bearer Council (Reformed version of the Hammer Council) * Kaertes Brightblade - Chapter Master and Lord of the Council, Regent of Baldur (Formelly) * Felix Tibexus Deceased - Chapter Battle Captain, slain defending Baldur in M41 * Sariel Octaros - Psyker Astaras of the Chapter * Morasus Rubas - Tech-Priest of the Chapter Specialized Ranks and Formations Alongside the conventional order of battle with which the Damocles Hammer operated, several unique formations stood wholly apart from the traditional structure: (WIP) Imperial Bearer Armoured Forces The Damocles Legion was able to draw upon the craftsmanship, wealth and resources of the Imperium and possessed strategic reserves of munitions and material to provide some of the finer qualities of armored divisions alongside the Adeptus Mechanicus. From the Forge Worlds of Cencri, the Legion amassed mighty fleets of warships and was mighty important to the Legion's ongoing operations during the Great Crusade and after the Horus Hersey. Each of the Legions Chapters would maintain its own stocks of armoured vehicles, allowing individual formations to deploy as befitted tactical and environmental conditions (This depended on several reasons and thus was not always the case). The Damocles Hammer famous usage of the Predator, including their customized predator model 'Hunter' enabled great strives in their countless battles of the Great Crusade. The Legion in all Its glory, had one flaw. It focused into heavy Armour warfare for so long that If they were outnumbered and outgunned. It was very possible they wouldn't be able to break themselves out of a lost engagement. This was likely reversed after the Horus Hersey with the seperation of the Legion and the lost of most if not all of Baldur's spared equipment and tank reserves. Upon reforming into the Imperial Bearers, the form of battle would begin switching to the reliance of numbers and tactical superiority, and the appearance of armored tanks came less and less. The Legion Fleet In contrast to the vast numbers of Space Marines in the Damocles & Imperial Bearer Legions; the Legion employed one of the modest fleet in the Imperium; and it was often the most equipped given Baldur' proximity to Mars and the access to new and replacement equipments to maintain the fleet and the Legion' armory. As a result, the Legion had never operated large numbers of the heaviest capital ships, retaining less than 30-35 of such craft at various points, having lost several in battle over time. The Legion's Flagship known as the 'Gate of Baldur' was heavily damaged during the Horus Heresy and after the civil war it was refitted and repaired on the double and remains as one of the most iconic vessels in the Imperium in the present millennia. The main body of the Legion's void craft fleet was then made up of mid-scaled cruisers and smaller Battle Barges of various classes, along with substantial numbers of lighter pattern purpose-built Strike Cruisers, frigates and fast patrol cutters, all which could be produced by the shipyards of worlds across the Segmentum Solar and Its planets. War Disposition Prior to the Horus Heresy, the majority of the IInd Legion had been distributed across the southern and eastern sectors of the galaxy in numerous crusade fleets always fighting and conquering in the name of the Emperor. Besides the occasion of a greater Ork Waaagh or a Crusade, the Damocles Chapter would remain divided but heavily self-dependent on getting the job done. Careas himself lead the largest portion of the Legion at all times and was on multiple battlefleets during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. After the Civil War and the disappearance of Careas, Kaertes tried his best to control the newly-formed chapter but it was difficult; most of his brothers morned the lost the Imperium took today in the form of the Emperor and his Primarchs. The Imperial Bearers chapter that would become the reformation of the Damocles Hammer would operate in a similar fashion, spreading out the Legion across critical frontiers and ensure the defense is held while being neither aggressive nor defensive about the engagements held. It is said that during the Siege of Baldur In the Horus Heresy, over 30,000 marines gave up their lives to hold off the Night Lords and the Emperor' Children, whom retreated to regroup with Horus for the Battle of Terra at which Careas reinforced Rogal Dorn on the ground with a mere force of 10,000 battle brothers including Praetor Kaertes. Chapter Organization Post-Heresy After the Horus Heresy, the Space Marine Legions were broken up into small fighting forces. Roboute Guilliman laid down the organizational dictates that would become a part of every Space Marine Chapter from then on. Though some Chapters would later stray from the precise structure laid out in Guilliman's Codex Astartes, most Astartes Chapters remain faithful to its teaching. The Damocles Hammer follows the teachings of their Primarch, Careas and the Codex with a unique dedication as they combined the latter two into one mere understanding. They follow the organizational format laid out during the Second Founding with devotion. As the Imperial Bearers were brought into form, the Codex became a symbol of what the Astartes' purpose in the galaxy, not to be warriors or leaders in the eyes of Mankind but to be their guardians and only lead them in the path deemed so by the Emperor' dying wish for Mankind - To seek their own future at their own pace and let Mankind be reborn into their age of glory and strength. Imperial Bearers Honour Guard The Honour Guard of the Imperial Bearers Chapter is comprised of those warriors who guard the revered Chapter Masters and their Primarch. To become an Honour Guard, one must display courage that goes above and beyond the normal call in a given combat situation. The Imperial Bearers Honour Guards wear highly ornate suits of Artificer Power Armour and are each armed with a powerful weapon forged by the Techmarines in the Chapter's Forge and constructed with rare ores excavated beneath the world of Prandium. Among those in the Honour Guard are two special individuals, the Chapter's Apostle and the Chapter' Bearer, the latter two focus on being the iconic symbols within the Bearers. The Apostle Is a powerful psyker and possess a seat on the Bearer Council, often to advise them in matters of the warp, and the Chapter Bearer is renowned for being the one to enter the field of battle with the Banner of the Emperor' Bearer on his power armour, inspiring those around him to greater heights then every before Order of Battle Chapter Recruitment "The Imperial Bearers will only accept the most loyal and determined of all the Imperium, if you can't fit that category. Then you will never be anything in your life, sacrifice though struggle!" - Imperial Bearer Sergeant Azrael Ironborn to the first group of Adolescent Aspirants that are training to join the Bearer Legion The Imperial Bearers recruit new Astartes from amongst the populations of all the worlds which comprise Segmentum Solar in the Imperium. As the Imperial Bearers have long been been known as the Damocles Hammer, It has a legacy that most Chapters today can not claim. Adolescent Aspirants who wish to join the Imperial Bearersare generally expected to overcome one of two different types of Trials if they hope to be chosen to become Neophytes. First, the Imperial Bearers will expect their Aspirants to pass what is known as the Trial of Faith; which consist of being investigated and cleanse of all flaws that could lead one future Adeptus Astartas to Chaos and thus become a lost record among millions. It would test their willpower and faith within the Emperor, being induced a type of toxic that would play tricks on their mind and make up situations in their hallucinations that provided a yes or no or how they react to the situation and including the last bit that focused on an impossible battle but Chaos would provide them a solution. Next, and perhaps the less employed by the Chapter is to travel to Baldur and survive at least three days on the surface with little to no food, to see if they could naturally survive long-deprivation of substances. Most Aspirants fell in this challenge and non are expected to survive that long on the surface, but those that do end up surviving are deemed to become very important figures in the Bearer ranks. Chapter Combat Doctrine "Superiority of force is key and the key to superiority is above all structure. With Faith comes Discipline, with discipline, the ability to carry out orders, and only through clear orders can victory be perceived." During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras, one of many practical applications of the vast storehouse of theoretical battle scenarios, plans and tactical formula that the Bearers have learned to adapt and improve on from the Hammer' version. From full-scale planetary invasion to small-scale firefights, the Doctrine that the Bearers have come to use is to use any situation to the best of it - If they near defeat, it is to deal maximum damage to cripple their enemy for the next engagement - If they near victory, to usher in overwhelming force to wipe the enemy out to the single unit. Compared to most Chapters in the Imperium, the Bearers adjust themselves in small strike forces and hit-and-run but can also mobilize into one of the largest and equipped battlefleets in the Imperium with elements of the Imperial Navy and Guard to strengthen their force. There Is a rumor that as the Imperial Bearers were formed - Careas had taken a copy of the Codex written by Gulliman and began writing is new revised version of it. However the latter is most likely a rumor spread among the Legion. Chapter Beliefs An befits the inheritors of Careas Solas superb ferocity and loyalty to the Emperor's beliefs, the Imperial Bearers have fought in the manner prescribed in a unique manner. The Damocles Hammer had fought for ten millennia to preserve the original beliefs that the Emperor held and the Codex Astartes. Now the Imperial Bearers continue that belief and method for millennia to come. To the Chapter, the Codex Is only an extension of Guilliman's interpretation of the God-Emperor' intentions for the Galaxy, to dominate it and make it safe for Mankind to settle and reign, a age of science and logic rather then the tyrannical and repressed stage that the Imperium had entered followed the Horus Heresy. The life-long lessons of discipline and training the Bearers subject themselves too give them the strength of character to hold true to the teachings and beliefs of the Emperor and his Sons over ten thousand years old. Notable Damocles / Imperial Bearers Heresy Era Personnel * Careas Solan - Careas Solan was the Primarch of the IInd Space Marine Legion and its gene-seed father. Careas was one of the most loyal Primarchs to both the Imperium and the Emperor. Careas lead the Damocles Hammer to many victories and won great renown, and as such as responsible for one of the darkest deeds that preluded the Horus Hersey that came in the form known only as the banishment of the 'Lost' and haunted Solan until the last days of the Heresy and the defeat of Horus, and the internment of the Emperor within the Golden Throne. Careas disappeared shortly afterwards for unknown reasons but left behind clues to whenever the Imperium would need him - A chosen son would find him. * Praetor Tullius Berulux - Tullius Berulux was a part of the first inducting of Terran inititates for the newly formed IInd legion when it was formed during the latter years of the Terran Unification Wars. Showing great promise as a leader and warrior, Berulux was selected for high command, and eventually rising to the esteemed position as the first Praetor of the IInd, leading them for over two hundred years and even taking on Gabriel Brighthammer as a pupil in the hierarchy of command during the latter days that predated the Heresy. He would finally meet his end during the Banishing, and that left Kaertes in a position to become the second Praetor of the Legion and lead the Legion alongside Careas during the Horus Hersey. * Krias Issollis - Krias Issollis was a highly honoured Captain of the IInd Legion 3rd Chapter during the latter stages of the Great Crusade and the early stages of the Hrous Hersey. Krias was responsible for being one of the few remaining veterans to hold knowledge of the Banishment' event and such kept him in high regard to his Primarch and the Hammer Council. He would go on to lead the Hammer during the Siege of Baldur and then the Battle of Terra when he met his end on the field of battle by a Demonic Bloodthirstier. Post-Heresy Era Personnel * Careas Solan * Kaertes Brighthammer Deceased * Danta Corvex * Felix Vitus * Ruilius Tarirus Chapter Relics * Hammer of Baldur - ''The ''Hammer of Baldur ''is the ancient Thunder Hammer of the Damocles Chapter and is considered to be the most revered relic. It was crafted by their Primarch Careas and masterfully enhanced by the Emperor during the Great Crusade, and later was seen on many battlezones during the Crusade and the Horus Hersey. However, when the Primarch disappeared. the Hammer was left in the Chapter's care, for the hope that one day it would return to fight in the Emperor's name once more. * ''Scepter of Lorgar - ''The ''Scepter of Lorgar ''is claimed to be a relic of the Word Bearers that were the genetic sons and heirs of Primarch Lorgar. The Scepter has seen its fair share of battle and blood split for both the Imperium and Chaos. It was recovered by the Imperial Bearers during the Eternal Founding of the Imperium and placed on Terra in a historical statue where all Primarch status were rebuilt at the Imperial Palace. * ''Sword of Kaertes ''- The ''Sword of Kaertes ''was a masterful crafted power sword that dates back to the Great Crusade, once wielded by former chapter master 'Gabriel Kaertes Brighthammer' and then he passed it as a historical artifact to be preserved by the Chapter sometime before present history and his passing. It is said that to wield the blade is to feel the pain and suffering that hasn't been felt since the Heresy. Chapter / Legion Fleet Post-Heresy Era Fleet Space Marine Chapters usually possess 4 or 5 Battle Barges in their Chapter fleets, and this stands true for the Imperial Bearers despite having access to Mars and Its extensive drydocks. * ''Keeper of Faith * Shield of Thea * Baldur's Gate * Crown of Solar * Bringer of Faith =